Neil Young is on a tour with a new band this summer. Last week he played at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, and last night he played at the Stavern Festival in Norway as the headliner. With Neil Young, you are never safe to what he presents, but I can take the concert he played as a repeat any day.

The concert started with Neil Young alone with his harmonica and behind a stand up piano, singing After The Goldrush. He followed with Heart of Gold on harmonica and guitar, and the the Needle and the Damage Done, before he sat behind a harmonium singing Mother Earth (Natural Anthem). After this parade of 70’s acoustic gems, the band came in.

Lukas Nelson, Corey McCormick, Neil Young

Mike Nelson

His band on this tour is Promise of the Real, Willie Nelson’s son Lukas’ LA-based band, strengthened with Micah Nelson. The band plus Micah backed him on his latest studio album, The Monsanto Years, and they are the perfect band for this tour, where he focuses on the more acoustic´c parts of his immense catalogue.

Of other songs Neil Young played, Alabama, Only Love Can Break Your heart Cowgirl in the Sand and Like A Hurricane, plus Rocking in the Free World are all on my favorite Neil Young playlist. You cannot complain when an artist like Neil Young plays for almost three hours with such a good band and with these songs. So far one of my best “summer festivals of 2016” concerts.

Here are the songs Neil Young and the band played:

After The Goldrush, Heart Of Gold, The Needle And The Damage Done, Mother Earth (Natural Anthem), Out On The Weekend, Human Highway, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Unknown Legend, From Hank To Hendrix, Walk On, Winterlong, Words (Between The Lines Of Age), Alabama, Love To Burn, Mansion On The Hill, Powderfinger, I’ve Been Waiting For You, Cowgirl In The Sand, Like A Hurricane, After The Garden, Wolf Moon Ekstra: Rockin’ In The Free World, Fuckin’ Up

All photos are © Per Ole Hagen and must not be used without written permission.